Always By Your Side
by Afatcat101
Summary: Her footsteps echoed in the empty tower, quietly accompanied by the faint sound of the ticking machine above. Juliet walked up the steps, turning around at any sound, ready to fire at anything.


**[This is a story I wrote when I first started Psych. I hadn't gotten into the fifth season yet, so I didn't know anything past the finale of the fourth season. I had a random idea, and I put it into place.**

**I'm making this a oneshot, because I couldn't dare split this apart.**

**Anyway, I don't own a single thing in this story…besides the idea of this story. And my laptop.**

**Please enjoy, review, and have a delicious slice of pineapple upside-down cake!]**

"I see fish…fish and glass. In a tank, fish in a tank…"

"A fish tank…like a pet store?"

"Yes! That's it! The pet store on East Montecito Street!"

Juliet smiled, "Exactly! The pet shop on East Montecito Street! That makes so much sense!"

"Well done, O'Hara," Chief Vick commented with a smile. She turned to her team, "Okay! Let's move out! We have a girl to save and a psycho to catch!"

Without hesitation, Juliet left the department with her partner, rushing down to the pet store. Yin called again to play another game; though, this time he directed it towards Juliet. Of course she nearly lost her mind that day she was called to the challenge, but she had to stay composed; for her job, for herself, but most importantly, for Shawn.

She looked in the side mirror to see the familiar blue Echo behind them, and smiled; fully confident her favorite psychic will help with the job. Lately he's been giving her all of the credit for his findings. He would often only tell her what he sees, giving her the chance to win all of the glory. Of course, Juliet would argue, but Shawn would insist she had her spotlight.

_ "I've had my turn to show off," _He said once_, "Besides, You could use the promotion."_

Juliet smirked and shook her head at the memory. Lassiter glanced to her, "What's so funny?"

"Nothing," She replied, "Just something Shawn said earlier."

Carlton had no response; he only seemed upset about her thinking of Shawn. That didn't surprise Juliet; Lassiter never liked Shawn much. He just couldn't see what everyone else saw in the psychic. Of course, Juliet saw everything, and she loved all things about him. Yes, he was immature, and could take things more seriously, but that was what made him so different and lovable. No matter what, he stayed young at heart, and always enjoyed each day as if it were his last. And she loved that about him. Not to mention his eyes, and his smile, and his laugh. Everything about him was just amazing…

The car stopped, pulling Juliet out of her thoughts, and everyone got out. Juliet was leading the group of cops to the building, Shawn right next to her. Suddenly he stopped, throwing an arm out in front of her.

"Wait…" He muttered

Juliet looked at him curiously, aware that the whole group had stopped with them. Shawn looked around the building for a moment, and then leaned in to whisper into Juliet's ear.

"This place closed, right? Nobody comes here anymore?"

"No," Juliet replied, almost too quiet for anyone else to hear, "It's abandoned. Closed down years ago."

The psychic hesitated. Lassiter stepped forward to Juliet's other side, "What's the hold up? Are we catching the guy, or aren't we?"

"Not this way," Shawn muttered, "There's a bomb in there. There's a trigger spot somewhere. I don't know where, but I do know there's a camera, and we're being watched."

Juliet looked over to Shawn, "A bomb?"

"A bomb? Are you sure," Carlton asked, glaring forward at the building, searching for any sign of said weapon.

Shawn nodded, mirrored by Juliet. "Positive," She said.

Lassiter looked at her for a second before turning to the group behind them. He went to Chief Vick and reported the find. Juliet watched as the two talked over a new strategy, glancing to the building now and then. Meanwhile, Shawn was looking around for any other ways into the building. There didn't seem to be any other windows or back entrances.

"What do we do," Juliet asked.

The psychic glanced to her, "Jules, the question isn't 'what do we do,' it's 'are we going to finish in enough time to get a smoothie tonight?'"

Juliet rolled her eyes, "We need to get in there."

"Well, if you look through the window, you can see a security camera facing us. Right now we're in perfect view of the camera. But," He gestured to the side of the building, "If you can sneak in through this window, you'll be just out of sight. The only problem is, we can't just break the window."

Juliet nodded and Shawn continued, "Well, we _can_, but it won't do us much good if we want to avoid getting blown up." He frowned, "It's a good place to hide out. Perfect sight through the window to see any potential threat."

"O'Hara, got a plan," Lassiter asked from behind.

Juliet looked at Shawn, who shook his head, and then she frowned at Lassiter, "No. It's a pretty well-laid trap. The only way in would be the window, and that's not likely to be successful."

"I just don't get why he would rather blow himself up instead of going to jail," Shawn mused, "I don't think it's _that_ important to cover up a murder…unless…" He paused, seeming frozen by some discovery.

"What," Juliet urged quietly, hoping to get something that could help.

"Unless it's just a decoy," He looked at the building, now starting to show worry. He stayed silent for a moment before his eyes widened.

"Sha-" Juliet began, only to be interrupted by Shawn. He stepped back, grabbing her hand in the process.

"It's a timer."

"What?"

"It's got a timer! Get back!"

Instantly he and Juliet began to run backwards, both of them warning the rest of the cops of the bomb. Suddenly, a loud, defining explosion went off behind them. Fire shot out at them, reaching out in attempt to grab a victim. Juliet and Shawn flew forward, along with a few other cops, landing several feet away. Juliet landed next to Shawn in the middle of the road. She got to her knees, shaken and confused from the explosion. She blinked, hardly noticing Shawn help her to her feet.

"Are you alright," Shawn and Lassiter asked simultaneously to Juliet. Shawn glanced to Lassiter; Lassiter kept his eyes on Juliet.

"I'm fine," She muttered, though still obviously disoriented. She looked behind her to the store, whispering so only Shawn heard, "Tell me no one was in there."

The psychic hesitated, "I don't know…Honestly, I don't know."

Juliet quickly began to pace, "She couldn't have been in there. It can't be over like that. It was too easy for him. There has to be another clue. There has to be, it can't be over like that-" She stopped when Shawn put his hand on her shoulder. Lassiter and Vick went to her.

"No, he likes to drag things out as long as possible. Most likely nobody was in there," Carlton said, looking around for any clues.

"But what if she was—" Juliet began, only to be interrupted by her phone ringing. She looked at it: Restricted. The detective gulped, and then answered.

"Very impressive," Said a low voice, "It's lucky you got away. So close, oh well."

"Just give me the clue."

"You'll get it," He hung up, too quickly for Juliet to argue.

She sighed and looked at the group before her. They all had curious expressions, waiting for the next torturous step. She shook her head, "He said I'll get it."

"When? We can't just sit and wait," Carlton growled.

"It looks like we'll have to," Vick argued, "O'Hara, you and Lassiter go back to the department and see if there's anything new. I'll stay here with the bomb squad and clean this mess up."

Juliet nodded and went to the car with Carlton. He was silent as he drove to the Police station, and Juliet noticed. It wasn't odd that he was quiet, but there was something about this silence that got to Juliet. She thought about asking him, though, to be honest, she didn't want to talk. Her thoughts raced, and her head still spun from the explosion. Not to mention the fact that one girl's life was all on her shoulders. If she died, it was on Juliet. A small surge of panic shot through her as she thought about that.

Before she knew it, they were parked at the station, and Carlton was walking inside, thinking Juliet was behind him. Juliet got out and walked up to the door, her mind still on the psycho, and, more specifically, the night she was on top of the clock tower. A shiver ran down her spine.

"Jules!" Shawn called, grabbing her shoulder. Juliet gasped and spun around, only to find nothing. She took a breath and turned back around, running into Shawn, another gasp slipping from her throat.

"What," She hissed

Shawn pouted, acting hurt for only a second, and then quickly got over it. He smiled, "I'm sorry, did I scare you?"

Juliet rolled her eyes and went to her desk, ignoring any comments from the psychic. He followed, talking about any possible clues regarding the previous bomb.

"Obviously he has a big plan for you coming up. He's not hesitant to kill you-"

"I know that."

"Jules, I don't want you risking your life like that. Come on, think about what happened when only I was challenged. You nearly died because of me. I don't want you in that danger again-"

Juliet looked at him, "It's my job to do this. I need to. I can do it." She turned to her desk, and sat in her seat. Now what?

Her phone buzzed lightly, notifying she got a text. She looked at it and read the message, becoming uneasy the moment she opened her phone. The message was short and simple:

_Good, you listened. Now here's what to do._

_Liz wants to play Hide and Seek down at the Clock Tower._

_Come find her, and she's yours,_

_But if the clock hits midnight, both of you are dead._

_Come alone or the game ends; I'll be watching._

Juliet froze at the second line. The Clock Tower. Ever since the last "game" they played, Juliet has never gone near that building, and now she was forced to look through it; bottom to top. She gulped and felt a soft touch on her shoulder. She glanced back to see Shawn with a look of sympathy. She sighed, "I can't go back there…"

"You need to, Jules. It's just a building," He paused thoughtfully, "I'll come with you."

She shook her head. She had to be alone. And with Yin, alone meant alone. Juliet sighed, going to Carlton's desk and handing him the phone. He read it and sighed, looking at his watch.

"It's nearly eleven-thirty now. We better get moving."

"No, you're not coming. I'm going."

Lassiter looked up at her, baffled by her decision, "O'Hara..."

"I can do it. I need to do it," She insisted, although the look in her eyes only contradicted her comment. Lassiter scrutinized her for a moment and then sighed in defeat.

"Chief Vick won't just let you go without backup."

"I'll convince her," Juliet replied, leaving to the Chief's office. She walked in, and got directly to the point, "He wants me at the Clock Tower. Alone."

"Excuse me," Vick asked, looking surprised by the order. There was no way she was letting one of her best cops face the most dangerous psycho in the country wthout any backup.

"I need to go alone. If he sees anyone following me, there's no chance." Of course, she hid the fact that _her own_ life was in grave danger, because if she told Vick that, there was no way she was going alone. She looked at the Chief with a serious expression, making sure to get how important it was she had nobody following across. Vick watched her, debating whether or not to listen to Juliet.

"We'll be following, but far enough behind so he won't get suspicious," She said.

Juliet sighed, both in defeat, and relief. She nodded and left the room, rushing out to her car. Her drive to the Tower was quick, although it felt like it took hours. Her mind spun as panic began to swarm her thoughts. She tried desperately to clear her mind and gain focus, but no matter what she did, she couldn't stop her body from shaking.

She turned around a corner and saw the Clock Tower ahead of her. Several jolts of panic surged through her, stirring around in her stomach and making her feel sick. She took a breath, _Calm down, Jules, calm down. You can do this; you need to do this._

Still, she was shaking. The cop looked at the time: 11;40. She had twenty minutes to find the girl and get both her and herself out before anything bad happens. Juliet got out and rushed inside; gun in hands and eyes searching the dark. She stepped in, listening and looking for anything; _anything_.

Her footsteps echoed in the empty tower, quietly accompanied by the faint sound of the ticking machine above. Juliet walked up the steps, turning around at any sound, ready to fire at anything. She started off slow, but after she had heard enough suspicious noises behind her, she sped up the stairs. Upon entering the top of the Clock Tower, she saw the young woman sitting tied up in a chair, gagged and horrified. Juliet quickly went up to her, instantly noticing a note on her lap. She picked it up and read over it:

_You found her; with ten minutes to spare._

_I would say you can have her and the game is over, but I noticed you brought some friends along. You know the rules. I win._

Juliet stiffened and looked around. She moved her glare down to the woman in front of her, who was watching with fear in her eyes. Although…she wasn't looking directly at Juliet. Her stare was directed toward something behind her. Suddenly a rope came above her and pulled back, instantly cutting off Juliet's ability to breath. She grasped at the rope in desperate attempts to free herself, but the string was too tight against her skin. Still, she struggled, twisting and turning to get some kind of advantage. The attacker started dragging Juliet, putting more pressure on her airways. She fought back with every ounce of strength, which was quickly deteriorating. Her vision was beginning to fade; her body was growing numb and weak, but she still fought. There was no way she was going to die on that tower.

The attacker stopped, and the rope loosened a bit, only giving Juliet a small amount of breathing space. She made no effort to move, though; her head spun and her legs were weak. She wasn't even sure of she was standing anymore. Instead, she took the opportunity to breath, hardly aware of the chance she's been given to escape. Her thoughts were too much of a blur. But that all vanished when the pressure started to return and she saw the hooded psycho that haunted her dreams. Juliet quickly put her hands between her neck and the rope, forbidding any more space to be closed. She pulled forward, loosening the string and freeing herself of the death trap. Immediately she started throwing punches and kicks, all being dodged by the man. In return, he swung his fist at her, hitting her square in the cheekbone. The impact was so hard, Juliet was pushed backwards against the edge of the tower, looking directly over the city. Instinctively she froze, flashing back to the horrid night.

Yin took that opportunity; slung the rope around Juliet's neck; and grabbed her. She spun around to fight, but he threw another strong punch, this time pushing her over the edge and disappearing from her sight. Juliet reached out for the ledge, only barely managing to grab hold of it. She hung from the tower, the only thing saving her from being hanged was her weak grip on the edge. Panic pulsed through her mind, fogging up her ability to think and act. She could only wait for her fingers to slip; she could only wait for death.

She tried to get her right hand to hold the edge, but any movements she made only brought her closer to falling. She closed her eyes, only a few thoughts breaking through her panicked haze; she thought of the girl Yin had kidnapped; she thought of Lassiter and Vick; she thought of her family, of her parents. Most importantly, she thought of Shawn. An image of the psychic flashed in her mind. She wanted to see him one last time; to say what she had wanted to tell him for so long now, before it was too late…

"Just hangin' out, Jules?"

Juliet looked up to see the very boy standing over the edge, his arm outstretched for her. She quickly took his hand, and he pulled her up over the edge. Once on her feet, Juliet ran around the clock, seeing as Yin had dragged her to the other side of the tower, and went to the girl. Surprisingly she was still there, alive and horrified. She looked up at Juliet, fear, concern, and relief in her eyes. Juliet was about to untie the girl when Shawn held his arm in front of her chest, forbidding her to proceed.

She looked at the psychic, who instantly went to explaining, "There's a bomb under her. Ay movement could trigger it."

Juliet nodded and pulled out her cell, dialing the Chief. As the phone rang, Shawn carefully wiped some blood from her mouth with a smirk, "He got a couple good hits in on you."

The cop grimaced at his touch, wincing slightly at the pain. Shawn opened his mouth to apologize when Vick answered, "O'Hara? What happened up there? I saw someone attack you; I was just about to send some men for backup."

"I'm fine…he ran off. I have Liz, but she's strapped."

"Okay. Stay there, the bomb squad will be up there soon."

The blond nodded and hung up, looking at the shocked adult. She went to the chair, removed the gag, and spoke sternly, but soothingly, "I'm going to ask that you don't move. It appears there's a bomb under your chair, but don't worry. That'll be taken care of very soon. Just sit tight."

The woman nodded, "Thank you so much."

The cop only smiled and stepped back, searching for any further danger. Once she concluded they were safe, she sighed, sliding down to sit against the wall of the tower; as far from the edge as possible. Now the adrenaline was leaving her body; the fear of all that just happened replaced it; and her hands began to shake. She held her knees to her chest and covered her face. Shawn sat next to her, surprisingly quiet, seeing as they had evaded any more murder today. Although curious, Juliet had no energy to ask what troubled him.

The doors burst open and several men scattered about the tower, followed by Chief Vick and Lassiter. Juliet sighed in relief and got up, moving toward the exit, when Vick stopped her. The Chief looked over her, noticing the red mark on her neck. She moved her glare to the cop's eyes, seeing the tears Juliet was forcing back, and smiled.

"Good work, O'Hara," Vick said.

Juliet slightly nodded, "Thanks." She hesitated and spoke again, "Although, if it weren't for Shawn, I wouldn't have made it."

Vick's relieved look turned to a puzzled one, "Shawn?"

"Yeah," Juliet repeated, "Shawn. He gave me so many answers. About the bomb in the store, about the bomb here…not to mention he just saved my life…"

Chief and Lassiter looked at each other, both obviously uncomfortable with Juliet's words. Juliet looked back to Shawn, only barely noticing his distraught expression before turning back to the two cops.

"What," She asked. _If it weren't for Shawn, _She thought, _ everyone would be dead no doubt._

Carlton cleared his throat, "O'Hara…Shawn…" he pursed his lips, struggling to get the words out. Chief vick took over, sensing the detective's reluctance,

"Shawn's dead, O'Hara," she said, although struggling to say it herself.

Instantly Juliet's stomach dropped; her blood ran cold; and she felt as if all the air was knocked out of her. She blinked, trying to keep a clear head, "W-what? No, he was here all day."

"Juliet, that's impossible," Chief said carefully, "He's been gone for four months."

The cop stared at the two adults in front of her, waiting for them to tell her it was a joke, or a nightmare. When nobody said such things, she cleared her throat, although that didn't stop her voice from quivering, "What…what do you mean?"

"Remember, four months ago? It was on a case. He was shot," Lassiter explained, his tone surprisingly soft. Juliet looked down, images suddenly running through her mind. She flashed back to the unfortunate event.

* * *

><p>Juliet and Lassiter had their suspect cornered. Shawn, Gus, and several other cops were standing to the side, all but the two friends holding guns. Lassiter had his gun pointed at the suspect, who was aiming his weapon for Juliet. She had no gun; her weapon was several feet away; it had been lost during a brawl she had with the man. Now, she was standing defenseless as he faced his barrel toward her. Carlton was yelling at him to drop the weapon, but he refused to listen. Then, it happened.<p>

The last thing Juliet heard was the desperate call of her favorite psychic. Then the gun fired. Everything moved in slow motion. Two bullets zoomed towards her; hundreds of bullets soared towards the man, doubtfully giving him any chance of survival. Juliet had only closed her eyes for a second before something hit her side, throwing her out of the way of the bullets and into the dirt.

Then everything was silent. Juliet lay on the ground for several seconds, stuck in a hazed shock. She didn't know what happened; first she was staring death in the eyes, then next she was face-down in the dirt. Had she gotten hit? It didn't feel like it. There was no pain emanating from anywhere, other than her side and arm, but that felt nothing like how a bullet wound would feel. Suddenly Juliet was being lifted from the ground, coming to face a worried Carlton. He looked at the blond for only a second before quickly moving his eyes behind her. Then, she heard a sick cough. Immediately she spun around, seeing the worst image she could imagine.

Shawn lay on the ground, surrounded by red-stained mud. He clutched his front, blood already covering his hands. His face held the expression of true pain and agony. Juliet rushed to the psychic; dropped to her knees; and moved his arms away from his shirt. His chest was stained with dark crimson. He grimaced at her touch, giving a weak cough and a groan.

"It's okay…Y-you're going to be okay," Juliet stuttered through her tears. The man only winced and scrunched his face up more. Juliet didn't know what to do. She was too shocked to think clearly. She looked over Shawn frantically, "Y-you'll be okay…I need a medic! Someone get **a** medic!"

Shawn coughed and grabbed her hand, shaking his head as he did so, "N-not enough t-time."

"No, there's time. You'll be fine," Juliet whispered. He had to make it. He had to.

The psychic only shook his head and coughed. He took a shaky breath, as if to say something, but only ended up in a coughing fit. Juliet watched in horror, tears running down her cheeks. This couldn't be happening. This couldn't be happening. _Oh God, please don't let this happen_.

She sat there with him for hours; until the sun went down; she sat there with his body. His hand still rested in hers, now cold against her skin. She forced her eyes closed. Whenever they were closed, he was there; smiling , laughing; but when she opened them, he was gone. So she didn't allow herself to see the truth.

Eventually she felt a hand on her shoulder; she glanced up through her tears to see Carlton by her side. He looked down for a minute before speaking. "Juliet," He said quietly, "We need to go."

Juliet looked down, seeing that Shawn was gone. He had been taken from her at some point in the day. She hardly noticed.; it still felt like his hand was in hers. Juliet looked down to her hand to see only empty air. She slowly closed her fist; the motion felt odd after keeping it in one position for so long. Her hands were cold; the chilled air freezing her blood-dried hands.

The only thought running through her mind; the only thought that had been running through her mind for the past four hours was: _Let me wake up_.

Lassiter patted her shoulder, "Come on, you need sleep-"

"I'm fine," She snapped, her voice hoarse and exhausted. She blinked away the tears; ice cold droplets landing in the red dirt.

The cop hesitated and spoke in a serious tone, "O'Hara, get up. Now."

The blond looked up at Carlton, surprised by the sudden venom in his tone. Though, Juliet knew that he was going tough with her so she would get up. And no doubt he would sit with her for hours, trying to convince her to move. The detective cleared his throat, and Juliet gave in. She slowly stood up, her legs weak from sitting for so long. When she looked up, she was surprised how many people had stayed with her instead of leaving when Shawn was taken away. Chief Vick was there; Gus was there; Henry was there; some other cops were there. Of course, Lassiter was there. But that didn't matter. She only wanted one person to be there at that moment; she wanted Shawn.

Carlton lead her to his car, opening the door for her and helping her in. He shut the door and went back to the remaining group to talk for a minute. When he returned, he started the engine and drove onto the street. Neither spoke the whole ride to Juliet's house.

* * *

><p>Juliet was holding on to the wall now. One hand was holding herself up, the other was pressed against her forehead; her legs were growing weak and shaky. She removed her stare from the ground, looking up to the other two cops. They both wore apologetic looks, more for Juliet than for Shawn. The same thought echoed in her head: <em>He was here the whole time, though<em>.

Finally coming fully back to the present, Juliet turned around to where Shawn had been previously standing. His spot was now empty. She looked around some more, hoping she would see him again, talking to Gus or joking around by the edge of the tower. But there was nothing. It all made sense; why nobody acknowledged him, why Gus was never around, why he only spoke to Juliet. He was all in her head.

"Oh God," Juliet whined, holding her hand to her forehead, "I've lost it."

The other two remained silent, unsure how to respond to that. Juliet looked at them seriously,

"I saw him. I heard him. All day; he helped me. He told me about the bombs."

"O'Hara," Vick said, "I think this stress is just getting to you. Maybe you should take some time off. You deserve a vacation after what you've done today."

Lassiter nodded, and Juliet looked at him. She hesitated, but nodded lightly, thinking she only needed rest. _After all_, she thought, _I haven't slept in nearly two days._

Juliet's partner put his hand on her shoulder, leading her downstairs and to her car. He helped her in and went to the driver's seat. After he got back on the road and started heading to her house, Juliet looked away from the window to Carlton, "It was so real. I heard him, I could feel his touch. I could see him plain as day."

Carlton glanced to her, "I think you're just tired and stressed. When you get inside, you should just go to bed. Get as much sleep as you need; you won't be expected to come back for a while."

Unable to argue, Juliet sighed and looked out the window. The houses passed by in a blur, mostly because Juliet's vision was starting to fade out. She really was exhausted. It wasn't a surprise she was seeing things. Another sigh slipped from her throat, this time sounding more sleepy than distressed. Lassiter looked over to her to see her eyes start to close. What a shame to have her falling asleep now. He parked at her house and gently nudged her awake.

"Can you get inside," He asked.

Juliet nodded and reached down to get her purse. She opened the door and looked at Lassiter with a small smile, "Thanks."

"No problem. See you later."

"See you later."

Both Carlton and Juliet got out; Carlton heading to walk home, and Juliet heading to her door. She went inside and directly to her room, heading straight for her bed; hardly caring to change. She got to her bedside when she noticed something sticking out of a box on her dresser. It sparkled in the dim light of her room. Juliet walked over to it, thinking about the gift. Shawn had given this to her the day of the incident. It was early morning, before any cases were given to them, that he gave it to her.

_"I want to tell you something, but I can't bring myself to actually say it. So this says everything I want to say. Everything…But, you can't open it until you get home," He said, handing her the small box with a charming smirk._

Juliet had agreed to wait, but after what happened, she didn't even allow herself to think about it. For four months the small white box sat on her dresser, collecting dust. Now, after all this time, Juliet opened the gift. What she found was a necklace, holding a sparkling diamond. To be honest, aside from the shock and enjoyment of the gift, she was flustered. How would this say anything that Shawn couldn't have said. It's not like he hasn't told Juliet she was beautiful before. Of course, it was always both flattering and awkward for her.

Juliet stared at the gift. After several minutes, she still hadn't figured out what Shawn wanted to say. She sighed and picked up the box, removing the necklace from the case. Upon doing so, the cardboard stand it rested on came out of its place, falling from the box. Underneath, lying neatly in the bottom of the box, was a small paper with a pineapple printed on the front. Juliet stared at it, both confused and curious. She took out the note and flipped it around, reading the three simple words that lay in front of her:

_I love you._


End file.
